1994 Kuril Islands earthquake
Encyclopedia
The 1994 Kuril Islands earthquake occurred on October 4, 1994 at 13:22 UTC (October 5, 1994 at 00:22 local time). It had a magnitude of Mw 8.2. The epicenter was located at about 70 km east of the Shikotan Island. This earthquake triggered a tsunami in southern Kuril Islands
and Hokkaido
. The shaking and tsunami caused road and building damage. At least 10 people were reported dead. The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo
with shindo 3, and in Hokkaido, the highest intensity reached shindo 6. This earthquake was an intra-slab earthquake within the Pacific Plate
which is subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate
. A numerical simulation of the tsunami suggested that the first wave was caused by a significant subsidence north of the Kuril Islands due to the earthquake.
Kuril Islands
The Kuril Islands , in Russia's Sakhalin Oblast region, form a volcanic archipelago that stretches approximately northeast from Hokkaidō, Japan, to Kamchatka, Russia, separating the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. There are 56 islands and many more minor rocks. It consists of Greater...
and Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
. The shaking and tsunami caused road and building damage. At least 10 people were reported dead. The earthquake could be felt in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
with shindo 3, and in Hokkaido, the highest intensity reached shindo 6. This earthquake was an intra-slab earthquake within the Pacific Plate
Pacific Plate
The Pacific Plate is an oceanic tectonic plate that lies beneath the Pacific Ocean. At 103 million square kilometres, it is the largest tectonic plate....
which is subducting beneath the Okhotsk Plate
Okhotsk Plate
The Okhotsk Plate is a tectonic plate covering the Sea of Okhotsk, the Kamchatka Peninsula, Sakhalin Island and Tōhoku and Hokkaidō in Japan. It was formerly considered a part of the North American Plate, but recent studies indicate that it is an independent plate, bounded on the north by the...
. A numerical simulation of the tsunami suggested that the first wave was caused by a significant subsidence north of the Kuril Islands due to the earthquake.